Means for propelling vessels.



No. 690,267. Patented Dec. 3!, I90l. R. F. GILLIN.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING VESSELS;

(Application filed July 10, 1899. Renewed June 4, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. GILLIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING VE SSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,267, dated December 31, 1901. Application filed July 10, 1899. Renewed June 4, 1901. Serial No. 63,156- .(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. GILLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Propelling Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to that class of hydraulic propulsion for vessels in which motion is imparted by the action of a plunger against the water in which the vessel floats; and its object is to provide an arrangement by which the vessel may be more easily held to its course, vibration reduced, the strains better distributed, and the speed and general efficiency increased. I

The invention consists, essentially, of a cylinder located on the center line of the vessel, havingits open rear end extended through the hull at the stern below the water-line, closed at the forward end, and havinga plurality of branches, the combined cross-sectional areas, or rather the delivery capacities, of which equal that of the cylinder, and extending rearwardly from the cylinder near its forward end through the hull belowthe water-line, terminating each at a distance from the open end of the cylinder. A plunger or piston reciprocating in the cylinder forces out the water in the latter at each rearward stroke, and each forward stroke forces out an equal volume through the branches. The reaction produces a practically continuous rear thrust, impelling the vessel forward with a force and at a'speed determined by the area of the plunger and the rate of its reciprocations.

In the most complete form of the invention controlling gates are introduced in the branches for checking the discharge from one or the other, as desired, and thus aiding in steering the vessel.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show the invention as I have carried it out.

Figure l is a general plan view of a vessel equipped in accordance with the invention. The remaining figures are on a larger scale and show the cylinder and its connections alone. Fig. 2 is a plan View, partly in horizontal section; and Fig. 3 is a corresponding rear view.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

A is the hull of a vessel, which may be of any ordinary or preferred type or model.

B is a cylinder of large cross-sectional area extending through the dead-wood at the stern on the line of and alittle above the keel. Its outer end is open and its inner or forward end closed by the cylinder-head B, provided with a stuffing-box B A plunger 0, fitting easily within the cylinder, is carried on a pistonrod 0, extending through the stuffing-box,

and is continued to a piston (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) in a motor-cylinder D, adapted to reciprocate the piston and its connected plunger.

From the inner end of the cylinder B just in rear of the head on each side is a branch B extending laterally and thence curving 1 into a straight portion in the same horizontal plane as the cylinder and parallel therewith, or preferably diverging a little and reaching through the hull of the vessel at the rear below the water -line, terminating at points somewhat in advance of the rear end of the cylinder and separated therefrom.

The cross-sectional areas of these branches are so proportioned that their combined flow capacity is just equal to that of the cylinder, so that water may flow freely through them and the work done by the plunger in both directions will be as nearly equal as may be.

The reciprocations of the piston in the cylinder D are directly communicated to the plunger O, and at each rearward stroke the water behind the plunger is forced out, the space before and the branches filling by suction. The next forward stroke forces out an equal quantity through the branches, and the space behind the plunger again fills. Each reciprocation produces a forward impulse to the vessel by the thrust of the plunger against the water in which the vessel floats, and the result is a more or less rapid forward motion of the vessel, the speed depending on the area of the plunger and the rate of its reciprocations. My experiments indicate that the rate of speed will be exceptionally high and by reason of the direct connection between the motor piston and plunger the driving mechanism may be extremely simple and inexpensive.

. tle space.

B B are gates or valves located one in each branch B and operated by a screw B and hand-Wheel B to control the flow through either, and thus allow the thrust resulting from the forward stroke of the plunger to be felt more on one side than the other when desired, and thus govern the direction of the vessel either alone or in conjunction with the usual rudder. (Not shown.)

The apparatus offers but little resistance to the motion of the vessel and occupies lit- Its simplicity reduces liability of failure from accident, and my experiments indicate a high degree of economy in running.

Any preferred type of motor adapted to the work may be employed, and its location in the vessel may be varied. Iprefer the direct connection shown.

By locating a single cylinder with its axial line on the longitudinal central line of the vessel I am able to avoid the vibrations and longitudinal oscillations due to twin cylinders arranged side by side and operated by independent plungers and motors,as has been before proposed.

By dividing the flow from the forward end of the cylinder and carrying it rearward through pipes of equal capacity the lateral strains are balanced and the vibrations of the vessel due to unequal discharge through these passages are lessened or avoided.

By separating the branches and terminating them at a distance from the open end of the cylinder I avoid circulation between the latter and the branches and insure rear thrust against unused water.

By making the combined dischargecapacities of the branch pipes equal with the discharge capacity of the cylinder smoothness of action with a maximum effectiveness of stroke is secured and loss of power by friction is avoided.

By arranging the cylinder and its branches centrally of the vessel and operating by the thrust of acentral plunger the tendency of the vessel to follow a curve instead ofa straight course is lessened, and consequently the rudder resistance is reduced.

I do not claim, broadly, the system of propulsion, as that has been before approached from several directions; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a vessel of a cylinder of large cross-sectional area arranged with its axis in a plane passing through the central longitudinal line of the vessel,having its-forward end closed and its rear end open and extending through the hull below the water-line, an open branch pipe of smaller crosssectional area extending from the cylinder on each side near the forward end through the hull below the water-line,approximately parallel with and in the same direction as said cylinder, the combined discharge capacities of said branch pipes being coequal with the discharge capacity of said cylinder, a plunger in said cylinder, and means forreciprocating it therein, all substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The combination with a vessel of a cylinder B of large cross-sectional area arranged with its axis in a plane passing through the central longitudinal line of the vessel,having its rear end open and extending through the hull below the water-line, the head B closing the forward end, a branch pipe B of smaller cross-sectional area extending from the cylinder'on each side near-the forwardlend through the hull below the water-line approximately parallel with and in the same'di'rection as said cylinder,a gate B in each branch-pipe adapted to control the flow therethroughdhe combined discharge capacities of said branch pipes being coequal with the discharge capacity of said cylinder, a plunger 0 in said cylinder, and means for reciprocating it therein, all substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in pres= ence of two witnesses.

ROBERT F. GILLIN.

WVitnesses:

HENDERSON B. HAYS, CHARLES R. SEARLE. 

